Back To School
by tmpayne80
Summary: Sealey knew that returning to duty wouldn't be as easy as it had been before. A college ROTC instructor is assaulted and left for dead, leaving nobody teach his students. Booth is assigned to figure out who carried out the attack and why. **No major spoilers aside from Special Agent Aubrey from season 11. **I Don't own anything about Bones so I don't claim it.
1. Chapter 1

**Back to School**

**Chapter 1**

**Segram Braeden**

"Booth" I answered.

It was my boss. They had needed someone willing to go undercover as a substitute instructor for a college ROTC unit. I became the involuntary candidate.

Let's see here…Army veteran with war experience, a guy, still in the doghouse for a string of crappy events. I wondered if Aubrey had anything to do with this.

I walked through a set of double doors into a bustling hallway. Preoccupied college students bumped into me without so much as an excuse me. I found the dean's office with the help of a young girl at the registration desk.

"Special Agent Booth, right?" The bald man behind the desk caught my attention.

"Dean Galmire?" I returned the greeting.

I took a seat just in front of his desk.

"I assume that you have been briefed by your superiors about why you're here?" Galmire asked.

"I have the gist." I answered.

Some of the information could have changed in twenty-four hours' time.

"Our current instructor is in a medically induced coma at the moment. Campus security found him lying on the ground beside his car unconscious. All of his injuries seemed to imply an assault by one or more individuals. We have our suspicions about who might be responsible but we have no way to prove it." Galmire filled me in on the situation with a far more complete picture.

Wonderful, I thought to myself without spared sarcasm.

He handed me the agenda for the next week for a quick read over. Today's instruction centered on martial arts and self-defense methods. Other activities were on the schedule but I could only take this assignment a day at a time. Mistakes would be made if I got too far ahead of myself.

"Train them the way that is necessary. Report anything that seems out of place directly to me. I don't want the guilty party or parties aware of why you were brought here." Galmire's instruction sounded suspect and flexible at the same time.

He must have read my facial expression to figure out my next question.

"Someone within my staff knows more than they are letting on. That staff member is either scared of the perpetrator or protecting them. Either way, we can't tip off the person responsible." Galmire's expression proved my hunch.

He pulled a sealed envelope from his desk drawer. I accepted the envelope and then broke the taped seal. Inside were the credentials of the mission. A photo ID hung from the specially branded lanyard as well as a key card.

"As far as the faculty and student know, you are Staff Sergeant Segram Breaden. You are an Army veteran called in to serve as the interim advisor and professor for our ROTC unit. You served in many theaters before accepting this job with our campus." Galmire explained with a condescending tone.

Did this guy forget that this wasn't my first undercover assignment? My cover story had been explained back at the Hoover Building before I left. I knew the rules of undercover and that rule is that you must maintain your cover. The only way for that to change is if somebody could recognize me.

"Understood sir." I responded holding back my indignation for his previous words.

One of the campus police officers drove me to the building where I would be working. I could hear the idle chatter of teenage voices peppered with small bursts of laughter. The police officer shook my hand and drove back to the campus police station.

I channeled my inner drill sergeant to get their attention.

"Platoon, ten-hut." I called sending the shocked cadets into a clumsy attention.

Just about all of them seemed surprised by my sudden presence. I detected a small bunch that seemed happy to see me.

"My name is Staff Sergeant Segram Braeden. It is pronounced as Brayden with a long A. Your instructor could not be here so I have been asked to take his place until his return." I announced with the right amount of projection to keep their attention.

Two of new charges seemed to accept me with obvious indifference. The rest appeared to fear me.

"You will address me as sir. You will not disrespect me here. I will make sure that it'll be a one-time event. By the time I leave, it is my hope that I will have prepared you for anything you might face on the street or in combat, should you join the ranks of the Army." I added extra force to my words for effect.

"You will break ranks and join me by the mats for training. Today you will learn how defend yourself without the benefit of a weapon. Everyone WILL participate. If you don't volunteer, you will be sorry for it. I'll find a way to make you participate." I lowered the volume of my voice but didn't remove the authoritative tone.

"Do you understand your instructions?" I yelled.

"YES SIR." The whole group sounded off with equal volume.

With that, it was back to school for me….


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Self Defense 101**

I put all of the student at parade rest to keep them quiet. I had a lot to learn and so did they. They would be learning about the basics of self-defense and I would be searching for any telltale behaviors.

"Self-defense is essential in combat and important in everyday life. The key component most people miss is probably the most critical part. Most people disregard vital ability to be fully aware of what is around you. Your chances of surviving in a combat zone or an attack hinge on how aware you are of your surroundings." I paced in front of them.

Their cooperation earned them the opportunity to relax while I explained it further.

"Why is it so important to have a highly refined situational awareness?" I posed the question waiting for answers.

A young woman's hand shot up into the air.

"It's always good to know if there's any exits in case of emergency, sir." She answered confidently.

"You're correct. Having a means of escape can make the difference between surviving and dying." I acknowledged her answer.

Another hand appeared over a group of heads.

"Unsafe situations are avoidable if you go nowhere near them, sir. I've learned that if something seems off then it often is." The young man reasoned.

"That's another." I accepted the answer.

"The ability to recall details, sir. If you can describe what you have around you, a rescue is more likely." A voice blurted out.

His lack of courtesy annoyed me but still he had a strong point.

Every answer impressed me and also allowed me to have a greater insight into each student's personality.

"All of those answers are correct." I pointed out.

"It is always a good idea to find an egress route so that you won't get caught in a potentially bad position." I looked at the young woman first.

"And, yes, it's important to trust your instincts if a given situation feels wrong. Avoiding unnecessary risk eliminates your self-defense skills at times. Safe is always better than sorry." I looked at the young man who'd given me that answer.

"Knowledge of small but vital details about the environment around you and the assailant, or assailants, might be the expediting factor in your rescue. Those details just might save you and your team when faced with a life and death scenario." I finally addressed my last student.

I pulled the duffle bag of sparring gear within vision.

"Every single one of those steps should be memorized. They're practical and become natural over time." I unzipped the bag.

"One of the most useful rules of combat and of life is to never underestimate the power of your opponent. Whether it is on the battlefield or in everyday life situations, the mistake of underestimating what's in front of or around you will be costly. That person may know more about you than you know about them. You can't always be sure." I explained with authority.

I, myself, had learned that after facing off with some heartless criminals. Most of them were dead, of course. Each one of them had served to reinforce that idea. Every single one of them had left their mark on my memory and on my record book of what to avoid.

"Gender, height, weight, intelligence, and background are never the best ways to assess the threat your opponent is to you. Women can be as deadly and cold as any man. A short person can do as much damage, if not more, than a tall person. Skinny people can hide muscle that isn't obvious at first sight. A person of lesser intelligence can eliminate a genius with a little effort. Never ever overlook those skills." I had unpleasant flashbacks come back to my conscious thought after years of being forgotten.

"You in the back, front and center." I called a six foot tall kid.

He had the build of a linebacker and the intimidating height to add to it.

"When you look at the two of us, what do you see?" I asked the rest of the class.

I heard a chuckle coming from the back of the group.

"Okay Mr. Chuckles, enlighten me." I stared at him, annoyed.

"A very short match. You'll be out after one swing." His smugness couldn't have been more obvious.

"Come on guys. Look at the size of Staff Sergeant Braeden and Troy. We'll be needing another professor after this." He continued to laugh at my expense.

I couldn't disguise my smile. Mr. Chuckles was about to learn the lesson the easy way but it would still hurt. Humble pie never tastes good when you have it served specifically for you.

"Attack me." I challenged the giant in front of me.

His mock attack ended with him on the floor. I'd made sure that I didn't inflict permanent injury on the poor kid. It was just enough to teach Mr. Chuckles a point and squash any overconfidence that the linebacker might have had.

"I'll teach you the basics today. You'll practice each technique next class session. Everyone will take part." I heard the groans come from a few and noticed smiles on others.

"I will pair everyone up. You will be in teams of two. The best pair will be rewarded and the worst will also be rewarded. The difference in the reward is in the suffering that will follow." I noticed looks of determination on every face.

My linebacker put on protective gear and served as my visual aid. Before I knew it, it was time for them to move on to their next classes. Mr. Chuckles had been silenced. Linebacker left feeling pain of the experience physically and maybe to his ego.

I left campus after obtaining a class roster and reporting what I had seen to the dean. A little squinting might help to separate the likely suspects from the unassuming innocent.


	3. Chapter 3

I enlisted the help of the squinterns and Aubry to examine some evidence handed down to us by the campus police. My suspects seemed to narrow down to a couple of people. Most of the student checked out as completely normal people. Two of them had given the willies by the time the background check had been done. Those two would remain on my active radar and the rest would only be addressed as needed.

The dean called me in before I got to the ROTC building.

"What do you think Mr. Braeden?" The direction of the dean's eyes went explained the over exaggeration.

"Fine." I answered, keeping my tone convincingly confused.

His act dropped along with mind once the door clicked shut.

"I assume your first day with the students went well Agent Booth?" He seemed surprised that I was still around and uninjured.

"No a problem, sir. Nothing that I couldn't handle." I must've come off as cocky without intending too.

The dean leaned back in his chair with disbelief shading his smile.

"I trust you got the evidence from the campus police chief." His smile relaxed.

"Yes, sir. I had experts analyze each piece. You have the best team in the world working for you." I answered.

He must've thought me cocky or highly opinionated by the expression I got from him. His jaw would've dropped if he's seen our conviction rate. Bones and the squints have put the most careful of murderers behind bars. If I've learned anything over the years, never underestimate the capabilities of the squints and their technology. Countless convictions had taught me that the hard way.

"Do you have any people of interest in this case?" The dean inquired.

"Yes, sir. However, I'm unable to tell you exactly who they are until I complete this operation. I don't' have anything more than a hunch." I stuck with the smartest answer that I'd learned was best in situations such as this.

He didn't like my answer. I could tell. He'd been expecting an answer that only TV detectives would give. In the real world, answers don't get out until the investigation is over.

"Okay, Agent Booth. They say you're the best they have and that I should trust you. I don't understand your method but maybe that isn't my job." Resignation was what I heard.

"I promise to keep you in the loop once I know more. Remember investigations take time. Criminals aren't as dumb as a lot of people like to think.

He acknowledged my explanation with an impatient nod.

The act continued on after his office door opened. As far as the rest of the campus knew, I really was a retired Army veteran passing my time as an ROTC instructor. To them, there was a good chance that interim would become long term. It was probably in everyone's best interest that it remained exactly that way.

I headed to the office before sunrise to stake out what I might be in for. Most students wouldn't count on an instructor arriving before dawn thus allowing me to catch something useful. If nobody was aware of my presence, they'd be looser lipped.

I didn't turn on the lights when I entered the office. There I sat in the darkness, my ears tuned to hear only the unexpected. Adult sound would've bothered me at first but then I could've shrugged them off. Criminal stuff was my prey. I heard the sound of two male voices coming from the training area.

"He got you good, big guy. The last son that dropped you like that got his butt kicked later." The high pitched male voice joked.

A tall shadow smacked the short shadow upside the head.

"Shut up Morgan. I don't need or want a reminder. It won't happen again. Nobody makes me look like an idiot and gets away with it." A deeper voice came through very agitated.

I knew who it was.

"So what're you going to do to this one? He's too smart for a direct attack to work. You'll have more than a sore body if you try what you did to the last guy." The high pitched voice spoke up.

"I agree with you there. The last guy was too easy. This one won't go down easily. He's a challenge that I'll have to think through. We can't have me coming off as a loser." The big guy laughed.

It took an unusually high amount of self-control to not laugh out loud or to accept the challenge. I've brought down bigger guys in my time.

I silently slipped out of the office and into the nearest deep shadow. I slipped my boots back on so that my entrance was more believable. The two shadows transformed into two guys working out. I knew better.


	4. Chapter 4

I exited the office without the two conspirators ever hearing me. I didn't know the back story, only the tail end of a conversation they had thought had been between them. Somehow, someway the injured instructor had made a huge idiot of this the overgrown linebacker. The end result of it all was the instructor's near death at the hands, presumably from these two. That prompted me to recheck this cadets record. This time more carefully.

"Aubrey, I need you to look up someone for me. There's more to him and his buddy than what we could see." I called Aubrey from the lit office.

Linebacker boy seemed to be studying me from a distance as too assess my weaknesses. His high pitched friend chose to keep a lower profile. Neither one seemed to think that I had heard anything.

"Gotcha." Aubrey answered.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. Time to see who is going to love life and who is going to hate life. How you perform has everything to do with it. Half effort won't pay." I announced as I left the office.

Groans resonated up and down the line. The linebacker gave his partner an irritated glance. I put on my best poker face. I never let on what I had heard even in the slightest way. Too many years at the poker tables and my time in the FBI had taught me how to not reveal anything. Eyes and body language tend to reveal so much without ever really trying.

I observed the evolution. I paid special attention to the co-conspirators. Their intensity made me suspicious of the linebacker more than the short guy.

"Mutt and Jeff. You two are my grand prize winners. You will be allowed to watch your fellow cadets complete a specialized obstacle course. The rest of you have the honor of completing this obstacle course and adding some additional challenges." I announced.

Jeff tracked me with his eyes. Mutt looked down. I watched my clock to observe the time. Aubrey would be calling by the end of the day.

"See all of you tomorrow. We will be applying what we have learned today to weapons. They will be dummy weapons and not real." I added to the disappointment of Mutt and Jeff.

The whole time the rest of the cadets wore themselves out on the obstacle, Mutt and Jeff seemed to be whispering. The corner of his eye never left me.

What would Aubrey find? My instincts would not let me be surprised.


End file.
